Prep Softball: Milledgeville Missiles aimed at state

Millegeville's softball team finished third in the state in Class 1A last year and returns one of the best pitchers in the state.

By Adam J. Kradle

Journal Standard

By Adam J. Kradle

Posted Mar. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM

By Adam J. Kradle

Posted Mar. 16, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM

Freeport, Ill.

Millegeville's softball team finished third in the state in Class 1A last year and returns one of the best pitchers in the state.

The Missiles are the odds-on NUIC East favorites and a threat to return to state again, but they aren’t the only team with potential in the East.

“They’re definitely the team to beat, but I think Dakota and ourselves are going to give Milledgeville a tough run,” Orangeville coach Lon Scheuerell said.

“I expect it to be a conference battle with Milledgeville kind of the big dog,” Dakota coach Jeff Kinney said. “Everybody’s going to be chasing them.”

The Missiles will have a new coach leading them this season. Former assistant Brad Grenoble takes over for Sarah Spears, and he inherits a solid core of returners that is led by all-stater Emily Bush.

The dominating senior pitcher who nearly took her team to the state championship game a year ago makes the Missiles a serious contender once again. Millegeville allowed only three runs in seven playoff games last year.

“She’s one of the better if not best pitchers in the state of Illinois,” Grenoble said. “She’s great.”

While the Missiles are led by juniors and seniors, the two teams chasing them lean on several talented underclassmen.

“Orangeville’s a little bit younger but still very talented,” Kinney said. “We’re kind of in that same boat as Orangeville. Ours are sophomores and I think their strong class is freshmen.”

Senior Callina Rockey will be counted on in the circle again for the Indians, but the pitcher with perhaps the most star potential is sophomore Olivia Zimmerman, who showed flashes as a freshman. Zimmerman was also the team’s most effective hitter, batting .461 for Dakota.

Another sophomore, Eden Meier (DP/1B/OF), proved to be the Indians’ biggest source of power a year ago. More of the same will be expected from her this season as the Indians try to chase down the Missiles.

“We’re going to work hard,” Kinney said. “We want to compete with (Milledgeville) and we feel like we have the team to give them a good game. The girls are expecting to do well. They want to compete for the conference title. They want to be in that conversation.”

The other team that could be in that conversation, Orangeville, graduated six seniors, but appears to have enough back both in the form of returning and up-and-coming talent.

“Orangeville’s going to be the sleeper,” Grenoble said. “People say they’re young, but they’ve got good coaching and they always hit.

Page 2 of 2 - “If they get pitching, they’re going to be really solid. Even if they don’t, they’re going to hang around because they can hit.”

Pitching, at least in terms of depth, shouldn’t be a problem for the Broncos.

“We have five pitchers,” Scheuerell said. “I would say that any one of my five pitchers I feel pretty confident in. We didn’t lose any pitching.”

Samm Buss, Crystal Rote, Hannah Bollon, Tori Clark and Kaylee Sager will make up the MLB-like, five-pitcher rotation for Orangeville as it vies to challenge Milledgeville in what figures to be a competitive season in the NUIC East.

“Our side of the conference is going to be very competitive,” Scheuerell said. “Most nights it’s going to be tough to decide who’s going to win a lot of the games.”